Darkness in our hearts
by lovestowrite238
Summary: A fill in the blanks for 5x11 - The Last Chimera, continuing the final hospital scene between Stiles and his father. 'You still have me, Stiles.' But what if his son's head wasn't as tough as it seemed? What if, when all good and fine, the world suddenly came crashing down on them? Hurt/comfort, friendship and family are the main ingredients


**The darkness in our hearts**

A One-shot fill in the blanks for episode 5x11 'The Last Chimera'. This is my first FITB for the series, there might be more. This was written right after the episode aired.

As always for my stories, Hurt/Comfort, friendship, family, no romance.

Characters: Stiles, Scott, Sheriff Stilinski, Melissa, Malia and Argent.

Story:

 _'You still have me, Stiles.' But what if his son's head wasn't as tough as it seemed? What if, when all good and fine, the world suddenly came crashing down on them?_

 **The darkness in our hearts**

Sheriff Stilinski's hand lingered between Stiles' long, shaking fingers. The first thing his tired mind noticed was the pallor of his son's skin and the dark circles beneath his eyes. Stiles looked far beyond weary, he looked much more than exhausted. He looked like he'd been to hell and back. His hazel eyes stared up at his father while he smiled the strangest, almost awkward smile, almost as if he was too tired to grasp the fact his dad was still alive. He seemed unable to accept this fact, like he was in some sort of dreamscape where good news didn't exist anymore. There was a certain darkness in his heart, Stilinski thought with a shock, but he couldn't even start to explain why he felt that.

Stiles just stared at his father, until he finally showed a bigger, wearier grin, almost willing to accept the positive outcome of his father's awakening. The boy's pale face became a mixture of happiness and love for his father, having fought so hard to save him. Now that he had, it seemed as if he couldn't be happy. Stiles pressed his father's hand against his face and closed his eyes briefly, feeling the warm, no longer feverish skin of his dad's palm.

'Yeah,' he muttered gratefully, 'I've still got you, dad.' He watched the sheriff's eyes droop and struggle to stay awake but the older man refused to give out, his concern fully with his son who didn't react the way he had expected.

'Are you okay?' The sheriff's voice sounded strangely detached, as if he hadn't spoken for years. Stilinski had no idea of the hours that had passed since he was attacked by that young chimera. It could have been days, it could have been hours, it could have been minutes. All he knew was that his son had saved him, that, he knew without a doubt. He had seen him in darkened dreams, realizing then that he had somehow reached out to him when Stiles was in trouble. Why had Stiles been in that space with him where past and present lingered and mixed?

'I'm fine, dad.' Stiles' cold hands were wrapped about his dad's, as if he couldn't let go out of fear that the sheriff would die if he did that. He felt exhausted from lack of proper sleep and raging anxiety, realizing he hadn't eaten for almost two days, having simply forgotten to do so when this hell first started. It could have been longer too, ever since his confrontation with Scott, ever since the abandonment that struck him so hard.

Scott. He had to tell him his dad was fine, thank him for his help. Without him he would have been an orphan now.

Malia. She had picked the kid's scent and led them to him. He had to tell her how much he appreciated that, to tell her he was sorry for doing this to her.

But nothing had changed, or had it? They were still broken up, he still felt angry for what had happened, he couldn't just let go just like that. His anger was aimed at them but also at himself. They had been fooled, all of them. He, who had sworn that Theo was up to no good, had been tricked like them all. He had wanted to believe, he had wanted to trust and he had ended up fighting for his life on multiple occasions.

Theo had killed Scott. . . He had killed Scott. That sudden realisation, the fact that the chimera had actually killed Scott, hit him like a hammer in the face.

He had taken Lydia's senses. He had driven her mad, exploited her ability, taken her mind to a far off place, leaving her catatonic. He had to go to her, but he couldn't, not like this. He had to see her when he didn't feel so damned tired, when he would be able to fight Theo on his good rights.

'Stiles.' His dad's hoarse voice shook him out of his stupor. 'What's wrong? Why are you here alone? Where is Scott? Why isn't anyone with you?'

'He's -' Stiles stopped, his voice sounding like strangely terrified. 'I'll tell them you're awake, dad. But I'm alone, I'm – there's no one left. God, I'm so glad you're back, dad, I've been so lonely.' The sheriff stared in shock at his son after this sudden confession, instantly realizing the truth about Theo when he saw the look on Stiles' face. His son had been hurt right into his very heart.

He knew the strange newcomer had been by his side after the attack, simply leaving him there to die as he talked about him as if he didn't even exist. Stilinski had sensed him in that place, heard his harsh voice. And then, after much silence, excruciating pain and darkness, Stiles had suddenly shown up to save him, to take him here and to be with him. To be like this, this numb, this scared. There was something terribly wrong with his son.

'What is it?' he asked afraid. 'Stiles, talk to me.'

'It's been a long few days, dad,' his son just mumbled, 'I'm just tired. I'm so glad you're alive.'

'What are you hiding?'

'Nothing, dad.' Stiles looked away. 'You're back. I've got you. I've really got you back.' His repetitive words shocked the sheriff who realized his son was in some sort of dream state. 'Now I've got to get Lydia back too.' Those final words pushed through Stilinski's core.

'Push the button, Stiles,' he urged, glancing at the people outside the room who were giving them their privacy without realizing Stiles needed their help. 'I need to see Melissa.' The sheriff's voice lost strength as he fought to stay awake. 'Please get up and push the button.'

Stiles automatically stood on quivering legs, the back of his head bursting, his body finally giving into the pain he had felt ever since he fell on the steps of his own home. He kept his father's hand in his own and pressed the alarm button near the sheriff's shoulder with his free hand, leaning over his father's body as he did so. He felt weak, clutching his dad's hand so tight the sheriff winced.

Melissa hurried into the room and smiled when she saw Stilinkski's face turned towards her, not happy to be alive, but anxious to get someone to talk to him.

'I'm so happy to see your eyes open,' she smiled gratefully before noticing something was wrong.

Stilinski nodded his head anxiously, his body still in recovery of what had happened to him. He noticed Argent standing behind her, not even surprised he was there. Somehow the sheriff knew he had come back to help them all. He was a good man, a fighter, a strength for this town. He was glad he came back.

Scott and Malia seemed reluctant to enter the room, their eyes cautiously lingering on Stiles who stood quietly by the bed, his back facing the open glass doors, his shoulders slightly drooping. His father suddenly seemed to realize Stiles' eyes were on the verge of closing as his enlarged pupils seemed unable to focus.

'Dad?' Stiles looked up for one brief second in panic before he fell to the ground, his hands finally releasing the bed and his father's strength as he rested on his stomach on the cold hospital floor, falling onto it before anyone could stop him.

'Stiles!' The sheriff's calling for his son's name shot through the room and hall behind it. Melissa was already kneeling down, touching Stiles' throat, exhaling when she realized he was breathing. His heartbeat was too fast and he was completely out of it, but he breathed. For now, she was happy with that.

'What's wrong, what's happening to him?' Scott called out, his nose catching a faint scent of familiar blood, a scent he knew all too well. His eyes caught sight of the back of his friend's head at the same time his mother did. Her hands gently prodded between his dark hair, seeing a mark of a red wound and a patch of open skin. The red reminded her of her own son's ordeal, which had not even happened all that long ago.

Argent was out of the room, calling a doctor's aid. Gently Melissa turned Stiles on his side and then on his back, his extremely pale face immediately shocking her. He had been pale before, while he waited anxiously for news of his dad, being so upset it had hurt her heart. She loved Stiles like she loved her own son, hated to see him hurt or fighting with Scott. She had been upset when he had attacked Scott down the hallway earlier, using all of his built-up rage to vent, but nothing had told her then that he was in such bad shape then.

'He was attacked by Theo,' Scott muttered, 'fell onto the stairs, hit his head, was out cold.'

'He was attacked by Noah, hit his head, was out cold,' Malia said at the exact same time, her dark eyes troubled as she immediately caught a glimpse of her hurt ex-boyfriend. Both of them stared at each other and then at Melissa who realized there was much more going on here than she knew.

'He hit his head twice?' she asked troubled.

'What the hell is going with my son?' Sheriff Stilinski barked, trying to get his form out of bed.

'No,' a nurse said, rushing in, 'you have to stay in bed.' It took all of her strength to get the sheriff to stay where he was, his concerned blue eyes focusing on his son. Stiles looked too young for his age, so damaged it killed him to see him this way.

A female doctor rushed in and examined Stiles, lifting his eyelids. 'Pupils are dilated, he's non-responsive.' Her hands gently touched the back of his head. 'Did he fall?'

'He fell down hard twice,' Scott replied numbly. 'He was fine. He said he was fine. He moved, he talked. It didn't seem anything.'

'All signs of a concussion, we have to scan his head,' the doctor ordered.

Melissa nodded, angry at herself for not seeing the state of Stiles' condition before. None of them had.

'He was full of adrenaline, very agitated,' Scott spoke, his voice apologetic as he directed his words at Stilinski. 'I'm so sorry, I failed again. I didn't see it.'

'Neither did I,' Malia retorted immediately, 'Scott is not to blame.'

'None of you are,' Melissa interrupted, watching Argent who gingerly lifted Stiles and helped him with the aid of a male caretaker onto a bed. Stiles' head tilted to the side but his hands moved restlessly as they had done in the dark basement.

Scott moved forward and grabbed a hold of Stiles' fingers as he had done back then, squeezing it gently. 'You'll be fine, Stiles,' he said, suddenly catching a glimpse of what Stiles had gone through. He shut his eyes when he caught an impression of Stiles fighting for his life in the library, being chased and attacked by Donovan. He saw him in his tilted jeep, lingering between smoke and fire, unable to save himself. He saw him fighting off a chimera, with Theo there. Always Theo was there. Scott's eyes caught a fiery gaze for one second, a rage building within him.

Always Theo.

'Scott, we have to move him,' Melissa said, placing her hand on her son's shoulder. 'Scott, let go.' The Alpha felt the rage subside immediately and let go of Stiles, turning towards the very agitated Sheriff who refused to remain in bed while his son was being taken away to an examination room.

'He's right around the corner,' Melissa soothed him but he wouldn't listen.

'Get me a wheelchair,' he almost barked, before he noticed Argent had already picked one up and was moving it towards the bed, his gaze fixed upon Melissa for approval. She nodded her okay and then followed the medical staff who rushed out of the room with Stiles, knowing that Scott and the others would be right behind her.

Stiles was slowly responding, muttering words and short sentences and calling out Lydia's name over and over again. Then he shouted for his dad several times but his eyes wouldn't open and he didn't react when they called out to him and tried to get him to talk to them. He became awfully quiet after that, sinking further away into the darkness.

Rolling him on his side, the doctor examined the head wound and ordered a portable scanner in. Standing near the doorway, the group watched on, Stilinski tiredly biting his fingernail as he refused to give in to his weariness.

As Stiles was brought to a private room to rest, the doctor examined the scans while the group waited anxiously together, watching Stiles, hooked on monitors. She came back with good news. 'He's going to be fine, it looks like he was very lucky. He hit his head twice at the exact same spot but the damage is limited to a concussion. He'll most likely wake up soon, other than that, he looks quite exhausted and needs to rest.'

Sheriff Stilinski sighed deeply, too tired all of a sudden. 'Thank you,' he muttered, his body feeling the stress he didn't even know he had built within him.

'You need to be in bed,' Melissa said but he ignored her. He suddenly felt Argent's hand on his shoulder. 'Your son's a fighter, he'll be fine. You need to take care of yourself now.'

'He's been through so much, how can he keep up?' his dad muttered. 'He's just human, he has no extra strength. How can I expect my son to deal with this supernatural stuff?'

'He has the strength of love.' The group turned to Scott whose eyes were filled with the concern and affection he had almost forgotten he had for his best friend. Scott's voice became soft and gentle as he whispered, 'he told me once he was my best friend, my brother. I have forgotten about the many times he saved me.'

'And you saved him,' Argent quietly remarked.

'We always had each other's backs. And then we forgot what that was like,' Scott whispered, 'and you know what? It's my fault that we are here today. I chose to trust and believe a complete stranger over him and in return Stiles didn't confide in me when he needed me the most. All of this build-up is because of that one moment that I decided to believe Theo. Stiles was right, I trust everyone.'

'That's what makes you strong,' Melissa said, walking over to her son and hugging him. 'You are a leader, leaders need to give trust. This is not your burden alone to carry, Scott. You are not to blame, Theo is.'

'But I am, mom. If Stiles had trusted me again, he would have told me everything. Instead, I abandoned him.'

'But I did too,' Malia said. 'I made mistakes too.'

'As did I,' Stilinski replied. 'I was losing my son without even knowing it.'

'Darkness fell over our town without us even sensing it before it was too late,' Melissa said, her eyes seeking Argent for trust and comfort. 'We all made mistakes.'

'So did I.'

A very quiet voice coming from the centre of the room startled them all. Scott felt his heart jump as he stared at his best friend's eyes, opening slowly, blinking against the brightness of the room, his tired gaze finding Scott's.

'You're back,' Scott whispered relieved.

Stiles wearily smiled. 'I made the biggest mistake of all, Scott. I lost my faith in you and I lied when I was too scared to say how guilty I felt.' All of Stiles' frustration and sorrow over the past weeks found their way to the surface through his small, hesitant voice. Stiles' hazel pupils found them all, staring at them with regret and guilt, his mouth attempting to smile. 'I'm sorry.'

He stared at his dad and smiled tiredly, replied by a relieved sigh from the sheriff who took his hand and kissed the top of it. 'You'll be fine, son. We're all going to be fine.'

'I know, dad. I'm sorry,' he just said quietly.

Then he watched Malia, whom he knew he had lost as a lover but not as a friend. They needed each other, they cared too much about the other. She smiled nervously, then left the room and escaped the hospital. She needed this time and he couldn't blame her.

Melissa kissed his forehead, Argent shook his hand and left the room, returning with a nurse and a second bed. Stilinski smiled gratefully, realizing that he had found great friends in Argent and Melissa without even noticing that it was happening.

As Stilinski fell asleep and Argent and Melissa left the room, Scott stayed by Stiles' side, unable to tell if he could stay or was unwelcome. But Stiles grabbed his wrist and pulled him closer, his eyes fixed on Scott's dark clothes that couldn't hide the bloodstain on his chest. Stiles placed his fingers against his best friend's chest.

'You are not healing.'

'No.'

'I forgive you, Scott.' Stiles' eyes filled with tears. 'I forgive you because there's nothing to forgive. But I'm asking you to forgive _me_. I'm asking you to listen to what happened at the library, to understand what happened with Donovan. I don't ask you to understand, I'm asking you to accept. Please heal, you don't need to do this to yourself.'

'But I already know,' Scott said quietly. 'I know it all, Stiles.'

Stiles stared at him surprised. 'How?'

'Through you, you showed me. And I'm sorry, I'm so sorry for not being there to save you and for not being able to help your dad. I've left you to your own devices for too long. If you had died, a huge part of me would have gone too. I can't be whole without you. You're my brother, remember? And I've allowed the enemy to try and kill you, I've allowed the darkness to take us over.'

Stiles swallowed away his fears, realizing he had to say the whole truth. 'There is a darkness inside me, Scott. Theo knew that, said he wanted it for his pack. He wants the void.'

'He is seeking out the darkness in everyone, he festers on it.'

'Then we have to stop him before he succeeds.'

'He is winning,' Scott spoke.

'He _was_ winning.' Stiles fingers pressed on Scott's chest again. 'But he'll never get me, he'll never get you.'

Scott felt a sudden change inside his hurt chest. He pulled up his shirt and stared at the healing wound, realizing that he finally allowed himself to heal. He sunk down on the bed, staring at Stiles who smiled in faith, trust and regained friendship.

'Thank you for standing by me,' he spoke gently.

'Thank you for trusting me,' Scott replied.

As Melissa came back half an hour later, she found her son lying on top of Stiles' bedsheets, curled onto his side, leaning against Stiles who lay underneath the sheets, fast asleep. Sheriff Stilinski was wide awake, staring at the two teenagers who had found each other again, a smile broadly spread on his face.

'Isn't it beautiful?' he commented.

'The best sight ever,' Melissa replied as she covered her son with a blanket and noticed that his wound had fully healed.

The End


End file.
